Unilin and delaware: a partnership for growth

Nov 19, 2024

By investing in innovation and technology, Unilin – a global player in flooring and insulation materials – has achieved strong growth over the past 20 years. With support from delaware, the company managed to align its IT infrastructure with evolving customer needs, laying the foundation for successful international expansion.

Client: Founded in Belgium in 1960, Unilin is a global leader in flooring and insulation materials.
Challenge: Aligning the IT infrastructure with the (international) growth the company was experiencing thanks to its innovative flooring and insulation products.
Solution: An integrated ERP system, a B2B customer platform and other technical tools that support operational and business processes.

The challenge: Handling explosive growth

At the turn of the millennium, Unilin launched two innovative products: the Uniclic® system for laminate flooring, and laminate click flooring under the Quick-Step® brand. The success of these products kicked off a solid growth spurt for the company. “The business unit was growing by more than 20% annually,” says Dave Vandenberghe, Global Enterprise Architect at Unilin. “We were constantly buying new machines to keep up with demand. Everything we produced had already been sold before it even left the factory.”

But that rapid growth also brought challenges: “We had systems for accounting, production and orders, but they were limited and worked independently from each other. Moreover, we were using different software in each country. Finally, we were acquired by US-based Mohawk Industries in 2005. This also meant new regulations and reporting requirements. There, too, we looked at IT solutions to bridge that gap.”

The solution: Aligning and improving the operational and commercial systems

When Dave Vandenberghe took charge of the IT department in 2003, he and the delaware project team focused on migrating to SAP's integrated ERP system.

“After completing this migration in Europe, we extended it to the US,” says Dave. The CRM system was also implemented during that period. The migration to a single system improved efficiency and prepared Unilin for further growth. Over the past decade, developing a B2B platform for retail customers has been the focus of the delaware team at Unilin.

We process 200,000 orders annually. Retail customers can order online, look up product information and track orders.

Dave Vandenberghe, Global Enterprise Architect Unilin

The result: An inspiration for further innovation

Christoph Bogaerts, partner at delaware, is delighted with the long-term cooperation with Unilin: “For more than 20 years, we have supported Unilin on their innovative IT journey. We help them with new developments, and they stimulate our growth alongside them.”

Given the large scale and impact of the projects, the process can test your patience: “Then it's important to have a partner who keeps supporting you until everything is in place. We don't want to work with suppliers, but with partners who challenge us and offer new insights to step outside our comfort zone. A common culture contributes to the success of this long-term partnership. delaware and Unilin share the same values, and that’s clear in our cooperation,” says Unilin’s CIO Jan Dewitte.

In the coming years, Unilin plans to continue down the same path in other departments as well: “Many employees in sales, operations and finance are also interested and have IT skills. That's why we offer platforms for developing low-code solutions and reports. In just a few clicks, they gain insight into sales margins or operational performance.”